Luca Toni has told Stevan Jovetic to join a real ‘top club’ rather than Arsenal. Well, that hurt, Luca.

The first half of Arsene Wenger’s reign at Arsenal raised our expectations to such an extent that the past eight years can be described as somewhat of a failure. Coincidentally, Wenger’s trophy-laden years at Arsenal occurred with the presence of another man running the show on the field, our midfield general – Patrick Vieira!

Maybe it was just luck that Wenger found him and maybe there hasn’t been anyone like him ever since, but Wenger just can’t find an able replacement and maybe a Patrick Vieira is all we need to transform this underperforming team into world beaters – so let us find one!

First let us forget about the usual suspects other than our beloved Diaby. They are, Mohamed Diame or Etienne Capoue or Victor Wanyama or even Luiz Gustavo. They don’t really boss the game.

There are only three players in world football currently that come to my mind, when talking about a replacement for Vieira – Bastian Schweinsteiger (although he plays a different role now), Yaya Toure and Marouane Fellaini! Now Schweinsteiger isn’t as well built and is obviously out of the question as a transfer target. Yaya Toure would be good too but he earns too much at City and even if he has expressed a desire to leave, I doubt we can match that 250K-a-week salary (and honestly we shouldn’t, it’s a ridiculous amount!). That leaves, Marouane Fellaini who is, according to me, Vieira’s perfect replacement!

Fellaini does play a slightly different role at Everton but I haven’t seen a player dominate the midfield as he does. Yes, he would be expensive (about 25-30m), and Wenger would never spend that much, but hear me out. It’s not really our defence that is a problem this season but the shielding from midfield. Arteta isn’t good enough nor is Diaby, Ramsey or Coquelin. They are all confidence players (like most of our team) and this is one position that needs a player with innate confidence; someone who can come back from a lengthy lay-off and can still own the game.

Therefore, Fellaini! With the amount of aerial balls he would win our defence will have to do that much less. Also, he seems to have developed a Lampard-esque late run into the box threat, which we could use. And with the 4-2-3-1 we currently play, he could play defensive midfield or box-to-box depending upon the opponents!

Finally, to complete our team we need a lethal finisher – somebody like Gabriel Batistuta! Here too, I can think of only three options currently – Robin van Persie (sadly), Mario Balotelli and Radamel Falcao! We can’t buy any of those, so let’s look at the next available, older options, Miroslav Klose and David Villa! And David Villa would be our obvious choice considering we already tried to sign him!

I know Jovetic sounds like the more fashionable option and I have watched a lot of him too (including against England), and he does seem like the player with ideas and a good shot but he isn’t what we need right now!

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Arsenal has been a shadow of itself for the past eight years. The only way we can stop comments like this (from Luca Toni) is to add top quality to the team, and start winning ourselves some trophies…back to back to back.

Err… and the joke is Vieira wanted a training role at Arsenal and the club said no, so we let this legend to go to man city when he has so much to offer, we have no-one else to blame for our own slow demise.

If we don’t get the top class players everybody’s been asking for, we’ll never get the trophy, period. So either Wenger blows the money on them or we die. We can’t settle for average players or good players and hope for the best.

i agree with lewandoski,the guy can score goals nd hve far better ball control thn giroud who is only good in the air,nd mbia of cpr is a real beast who will always protect the back 4,julio cesar,villa nd isco will mke us a force to be unstoppable

Why would we sell one of the best strikers in the world for 24m and a solid DM for 16m I think it was, and only a few months down the line have to replace both for more than what we sold them for You should all know by now, Wenger does not work that way. His plan was to buy Giroud for a fraction of what he sold RvP for, and refine him to become the next best thing. The first time I saw Giroud, I knew he would never amount to much. But Wenger for some reason thought differently. This is why the man has lost it and quite honestly he never had it in the first place, because all the greats we sold, we scouted by Dein and not Wenger. Wenger just thinks he can sign any muppet and transform them into superstars. He is wrong and 90% of his signings since Dein’s departure prove that fact.

If Wenger were to fork out over 25m now for a striker, he would be admitting him and his policy were wrong…which as we all know Wenger IS NEVER WRONG. The man is a stubborn old coot who should pissoff asap to another club. I bet you the board meeting after Dein left went something like this:

Gazizis: “So Arsene, will you continue to be able to bring in prospect players on the cheap and develop them into superstars now that you chief scout and right hand man Dein has left?”

Wenger: “But of course. My name is not Arsene Wenger for nothing.”

Kroenke: …

Gazidis: “I like the idea of selling all our most valuable assets over time, making a massive profit off them all. in the interrum, Wenger can keep replacing them with cheap players which in time will also be developed into superstars. We can make a fortune from this policy!.”

Kroenke: … (sly smile)

Wenger: “Of course. I do not have a degree in economics for nothing. Leave everything up to me. I will handle transfer policies, wages etc. Mr Kroenke and you Ivan, can just sit back and reap profits and perhaps in a few years time even give yourself a fat pay rise or…I donno, perhaps buy a ranch.”

Stan: *Nods in agreement*

Gazidis: Ok, Arsene if you say you can keep replacing our best players with cheap players and develop them into superstars, then we have a well oiled money making policy in place. We can also raise ticket prices and just say it is for stadium debt. In actual fact, use that excuse for everything. Meeting ajorned.

Folks, the truth is, Arsene does not have the ability to spot players like Dein did. He has brought in very poor players over the last decade to say the least, players that have cost us not just financially in terms of wages, but also the quality of our team has deteriorated to such a point that we are battling Spurs for 4th place! No trophy in 8 years since Dein’s departure. NEED I SAY MORE?

giroud is fantastic with first touches and laying off wilshere and gibbs both scored theyre best goals from a giroud pass i get annoyed everybody is anti giroud lol in the game he shot instead of the passing to ramsey he was very close if that had gone in he would have been an instant fan favourite i think he is brilliant he hasnt been poor he has been very unlucky always creating chances always in with a shout when he plays though and pretty much works his socks off everytime i see him play and he gets upset when it doesnt come off for him he doesnt winge he is showing his passion that he wants to perform and get goals for hor himsself,the club and the fans……

Yes we need a commanding CDM player. Fellaini would be perfect he is physically strong good with the ball and good in the air but the problem is many teams(teams with money) are interested in him so I don’t think we’ll get him.
I don’t know how u guys will react to this but I belive I’ve seen a potential in a young frenchman that I think with arsene’s magic who could be the next viera … Pogba of juventus.

I really wouldn’t mind Song back in the team. He was a great player for us. People moan he wasn’t disciplined last season, but people fail to realize that he was utilized in a more attacking way last season because we really had no one as creative in the midfield. We had no Santi Cazorla, and Jack was injured. Now we have both of them back, so Song can slot right into DM. Song is already familiar with our style of play, he knows the team so he isn’t a gamble…where as signing someone new is a big gamble. He made a mistake going to Barca, but at least he hasn’t bad mouthed Arsenal, he has always been respectable and always showed gratitude to Wenger. Unlike Robin van coinpurse.

He had a trail back when he was 16 or so, even played a game for the reserves. We wanted him but unfourtunately we couldn’t get the work permit. Got it for Kolo as he was older & (I think but may be wrong) had played some games for the national team. Shame….

@dan87 Are you talking about the Giroud on your Fifa 13? Cause the Giroud I know cannot hit a cows backside with a banjo, always moaning when he loses the ball or another player doesn’t pass to him and he is lazy. I have never EVER seen Giroud chase up front. He coasts around and waits for the ball to come to him and he is so terribly slow. Do me a favour and watch players like Tevez, Rooney, Falcao etc. Those are the types of strikers we need…strikers that chase and play with heart and can actually dribble and score. I’ll never forget the one game where Giroud dived and rolled around like a little girl holding his shin. As soon as he saw the ref wasn’t going to entertain him, he jumped up and began moaning at the ref. Can’t stand players who roll around and act like that and then get all pissed off when the ref sees right through their stupid act.

We need a new striker, for now I would let Dolski play as central striker.

& guess what diaby is out injured again faces late fitness test it’s injury no, 38 in 6 years Really has to be diaby’s last 2 months with the club this is getting beyond ridiculous now wasting a place in the squad he is on 60/w contract ends in 2015 this is stupidity at it’s best wenger sell diaby or terminate his contract & sign someone else

the problem with giroud is our current formation of 4-2-3-1 doesn’t suit him he needs a supporting striker along with him maybe a change in formation like 3-5-2 or 4-4-2 can help him alon side him walcott or podoslki will be effective

giroud works your wrong watch some clips from his last season in ligue 1 and shhhh you must just be watching the highlights and if you dnt like divers you must hate cazorla dnt get me wrong i love the way he plays but he is the biggest diver we have

@gooner cape town yep serious about jovetic player had told his agent to push for arsenal move fifa agent confirmed it as well still a long way to go no other news yeah & in spain isco to arsenal talks going on not 100% sure

nicely put. however toni was right to criticize arsenal. for the last eight years we have sold more than ten players who have won trophies somewhere compared to Manchester United none. even though we require another Viera, arsenal lacks the cutting edge and the will to challenge even for Emirates cup this is because of demoralization of players especially from the wage bill structure and leadership deficit. Bring Viera and wilshire or Carzola leaves, the story just remains the same. Arsenal’s problem is not in the pitch rather the boardroom we all know this but we are reluctant or powerless to handle it. that is why the status quo will continue till a boardroom savior is found. you have good plans but forget them meanwhile the devil is running the show.

Dan 87 great comments. I’m waiting for a brace on Sat. By OG12! He has an assist and a goal in last two games. Work rate? Watch our goal kicks and see who is battling in the air for possession. On topic I just watched the replay of Barca Celtic and VW was really good.

thanks jim a…. i just dont like it when players that clearly work hard get slated he constantly creates chances thats why he misses a few great movement and great ball control for an out n out striker always chasing defenders to also i would like to add tho there have been a few times walcott has gone for goal when giroud gas been in a fantastic position to score n walcotts fluffed it…

‘Unlucky’, theres no room in a team trying to win the league for unlucky players, or hard working players – only quality players. If you want hard orking then Ramsey and Giroud are our best players- but they clearly arent. A very ignorant or idealistic view on your behalf i think

Wenger is like a mini-god @ Arsenal now, even Schzney(pardon my unpo-lish spelling) our goalkeeper confessed it… He’s against Usmanov policy, so that tells you he sure doesn’t want Dein back too… All we can pray for is for Red&White Holdings to make a take-over move soonest… Remember guys, Dein brought him to the club from faraway japan and dein also brokered the deal to bring the best of players we had back then. DEIN IS WHAT WE NEED NOT VIERA OR ARSENE TACTICS!

I don’t think we should be trying to replace Viera, I think we haven’t been the same since Gilberto Silva left us. I know Song isn’t out an out and out DM, but I would like him back either him or Vincent Kompany.

Vieria and Wenger was able to fit into Arsenal life because of the fabulous famous back 5.

But now the game has changed and a bully midfielder doesn’t work for Arsenals style of football (even though they need one). Although I feel there are players who can protect the defence and be a ball player (therefore not lost as a simple ball winner only)and a bully.
I like the barca approach, defend from the front. I want to see the likes of Walcot, Ox, Cazola, Poldoski do what Wilshire does well…that is try and win the ball back. This way your defensive Midfielder can push forward and support and not be lost as a simple ball winner, and when needing to defend…actually defend

AND, guess what? Fellaini would like to play Champions League just like Hummels, Cesar and Higuain but for Fellaini, Arsenal is the team. Higuain has fallen out of favour at Maddrid and Hummels is not happy in Germany. All players are available.

i don’t think Schweinsteiger is that good,he was quite average in the euros,Yaya Toure is perfect but is unrealistic,Fellaini could do the job but i don’t think he will come to us an he likes playing further forward now.There are plenty of players who can protect our back 4,Jao Moutinho for 1.Coquelin hasn’t been given a chance due to Wenger an injuries

@Abraxas: its obvious from your view you know the solution to our DM problem… TOULAHAN! He’s the right player to boss our midfield. He has the commanding carisma, plus he’s also skillful… Thot our coach is french, and he should at least know malaga are in deep mess as he’s succeeded with 2 buys already with them… Though, i heard he already agreed a deal to join Athletico Madrid.

I would love song back. People do not understand that he was pushing forward because we had no creative player. Jack and carzola were not there thats why he was coming with those crucial assits. Song back please.

1. Higuain ~ we all should know that Benzema will start over Higuain @ real, so the argentine should make a move to another UCL team. Arsenal needs a striker because Giroud is doing terrible and I’ve never seen him play well @ Arsenal. Giroud should play at some mediocre team like Valenciennes or something.

2. Hummels ~ Vermaelen is weakening and i see nothing in Mert or Koscielny, so a CB is what Arsenal needs. The lineup still would be good w/ 1 of them in.

3. Isco ~ Malaga’s fall proves that Isco should leave. Arsenal is quite desperate, so Isco should add to the incomplete roster of a UCL team w/ a higher potential. he also will work well w/ Cazorla.

4. Pepe Reina ~ Liverpool can’t produce UCL play, so Spain doesn’t notice him as well as Casillas or Valdes, so Arsenal should get him and bolster GK options since Szczesny isn’t that good.

5. Fellaini ~ Fellaini is just like Reina, and he is outstanding. Fellaini fills the empty CDM spot. Arteta is weakening and Diaby and Ramsey are plain WEAK SAUCE!!!!!!